Case Study / Industrial Technology
From legacy platform
to digital leader
How Golabs modernized a 70+ year metal distributor with a high-performance, mobile-responsive platform that paired operational knowledge with a cleaner customer experience.
The Challenge
A 70-year legacy held back by legacy tech
Founded in 1948, this full-line metal distributor built its reputation on one promise: get the metal in customers' hands quickly. But by 2024, their digital presence was actively undermining that promise. A legacy website with 8+ second load times, zero mobile support, and manual workflows was eroding the trust they'd spent decades building.
8.4s
page load time
78%
mobile bounce rate
High
support call volume
Manual
quoting processes
No mobile responsiveness
65% of traffic was mobile, yet the site was completely unoptimized, causing broken layouts, unreadable text, and sky-high bounce rates on every device.
Poor user navigation
Complex and outdated site structure made it impossible for customers to find products, specifications, or service requests quickly.
No educational resources
No integrated content to help customers understand metal grades, applications, or specs, driving excessive inbound support calls.
Inefficient workflows
Manual, disconnected quote and order processes created fulfillment bottlenecks and communication delays across the operation.
Golabs digital transformation pipeline
The Solution
A platform built for operational excellence
We designed and developed a high-performance, mobile-responsive web platform that addresses every legacy challenge while positioning the client for future digital growth.
Mobile-first responsive design
Complete mobile optimization ensuring seamless experience across all devices. Touch-friendly, fast, and intuitive on every screen size.
Intuitive navigation system
Redesigned information architecture with clear, logical navigation paths, smart product discovery, and breadcrumb navigation.
Interactive educational hub
Comprehensive resource center with searchable product guides, metal specifications, and video tutorials to reduce support load.
Streamlined service workflows
Automated online quote requests, real-time service tracking, and automated notifications, eliminating manual bottlenecks entirely.
Execution
Discovery & Planning
Comprehensive analysis of existing systems, user journeys, and business requirements to build a detailed project roadmap.
Design & Development
Iterative design with regular client feedback, then agile development using modern technologies and best practices.
Testing & Launch
Rigorous cross-device and browser testing, followed by smooth data migration and a supported go-live.
Built on modern technology for the next decade
A deliberate, scalable stack was chosen to serve the next decade of growth, not just solve today's problems. We decoupled the frontend using Next.js to provide an instantly responsive, mobile-first experience, while integrating heavily with a robust .NET backend to handle complex B2B logic and catalog inventory.
Automated quoting workflows were directly integrated with secure payment gateways, dramatically reducing manual intervention and allowing the sales team to focus on relationship building rather than data entry.
"We're not in the metal business, we're in the people business. Get the metal in their hands quickly. The new platform finally lets us do exactly that, without the friction."
Technology Stack
- Next.js+
- Tailwind CSS+
- .NET Core+
- SQL Server+
- Stripe+
- AWS S3+
- AWS EC2+
- Vercel+
Results
Measurable impact across every KPI
User Satisfaction
0%
Achieved a massive increase in customer satisfaction scores by completely redesigning the mobile and desktop purchasing experience.
Faster Fulfillment
0%
Automated quoting workflows eliminated manual data entry, enabling faster processing and direct integrations with the warehouse.
Mobile Growth
0%
Finally captured the massive segment of users attempting to order and track shipments directly from job sites on mobile devices.
The transformation delivered clear, quantifiable improvements across every key performance indicator, validating the investment in modern technology. By entirely removing manual workflow bottlenecks and introducing an educational hub, the client saw a massive reduction in tier-1 support calls, allowing their team to focus on high-value B2B relationships.
Faster Load Time
-0%
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